Smart Thinking

Leoma Harper started with a big, bland house and filled it with character, sophisticated style and clever colour choices.

Living room

‘I wanted this room to feel more formal and grown-up so we added the panelling and picture rail. It took a lot of tester pots to find the perfect shade of pink for the walls, as many were too feminine for our tastes, but this subtle grey-toned one worked best with our sofas.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Walls painted in Chateau acrylic eggshell, £66 for 2.5L, Zoffany. Try Matilda sofas, £1,200 each, Arlo & Jacob

Moving deeper into Surrey from Richmond five years ago, gave the Harper family much more space for their money, as well as a larger garden for their two children to enjoy. ‘With its period features and high ceilings, this double-fronted Victorian house ticked all the boxes on our wish list and we loved its peaceful location,’ says Leoma.

‘We were very lucky to inherit a nice kitchen and bathrooms that only needed a lick of paint, but the house was very grey and bland when we moved in. Period features had been removed and some rooms had been updated for sale while others hadn’t been touched at all. We spent the first four months putting back period features and revealing fireplaces that had been bricked up, as well as laying wooden flooring and fitting new radiators. Putting wall panelling in the hallway and living room helped put the character back, too.

‘My style is inspired by rustic French and Scandinavian design, but since starting my interiors business (styletheclutter.com), I’ve become bolder with colour. It started with the blue front room when we moved in, followed by the green-blue en suite, our pink bedroom and then the pink living room. I also love injecting unexpected colour, such as on the inside of doors and whenever I upcycle furniture.